Wrestling of Andres Lignitzer

Foreword

The wrestling treatise attributed to Andres Lignitzer is in addition to the one by Master Ott Jud one of the premier texts on unarmed combat from the 15th century. As is the case with other mediaeval masters of fencing, wrestling, and other martial arts, we know next to nothing about Andres Lignitzer, not even the dates of his birth and death. Based on his last name we could assume that he originated from Legnica, presently a town in Poland. However, due to a lack of other sources, this assumption cannot be confirmed. Presumably, he lived within a time period between the second half of the 14th century and the first half of the 15th century.

The earliest of the preserved texts attributed to Andres Lignitzer originate from the Codex Danzig from 1452. Master Lignitzer most likely died before that time since the introduction to his treatise on armored fencing includes the phrase may God have mercy on his soul, usually added whenever the person in question is already deceased.

It is unknown where he taught during his life time and whom he served. But his renown must have been quite significant given the fact that his texts appear in more than a dozen fighting manuals from 15th and 16th centuries. In addition, Master Paulus Kal added him in his fechtbuch to the list of members of the Society of Lichtenauer. The list consists of the most influential Masters of Lichtenauer’s fighting tradition such as Sigmund Ringeck, Ott Jud and Martin Hundfeld, which strengthens Lignitzer’s position as one of the most significant fighting masters of the time even further. Next to his wrestling treatise, other texts attributed to him include treatises on armored fencing, sword and buckler and dagger combat.

The text on wrestling according to Lignitzer is preserved only in three fighting manuals: in the before mentioned Codex Danzig (Cod.44.A.8; Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rim), in Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS_E. 1939.65.341, Glasgow museums, Glasgow) and in so called Goliath (MS Germ. Quart 2020; Biblioteka Jagiellońska, Krakov). Since the text from Danzig is the most thorough, this translation is based on it. However, I took into consideration the other two versions as well and explained the most significant differences in the footnotes.

Lignitzer’s wrestling treatise consists of 17 techniques, mostly followed by a counter or a counter technique. The techniques could roughly be divided in two parts: in the techniques carried out from an arm clinch (mostly with one arm on the outer and one arm on the inner side), and in the techniques carried out from a body clinch (mostly with one arm under and the other over). The techniques are varied, they range from armlocks, hip throws and leg throws to strikes against vital points. Many parallels to Lignitzer’s techniques can be found in contemporary literature, especially in Ott’s texts. The writer or transcriber of the copy in Goliath took notice of that as well, so he concluded Lignitzer’s seventh wrestling with the following words: ”davon vinstu im andern buch in maister Otten ringen auch” (this can be found in Master Ott’s wrestling treatise as well). However, Lignitzer also includes techniques found only in his manuals and supplements the others with important directives. This helps us get a better perspective of how European unarmed martial arts looked like in time when Middle Ages were coming to an end.

The translation is based on the transcription of Dierk Hagedorn to whom all of us HEMA practicioners are grateful for generously sharing his work via his group’s website hammaborg.com. The project wiktenauer.com aiming to gather all sources for the historical European martial arts in one place was very helpful as well. I would also like to thank Debora Pirnat for proof reading and Igor Sancin for tutoring and help with the translation.

Here begins the wrestling of Master Andres Lignitzer

The first wrestling – When you clinch up at the arms, make sure that your left hand is on the inside of his right arm and that your right hand is on the outside of his left arm. If he holds you loosely, reach with your left for his left arm, grab him by the fingers, and jerk them to your left side. This is how you break his balance.

The counter

When someone does this to you and reaches for your fingers, spring with your right leg in front of both of his legs and reach with your right hand behind and around his back. Throw him in front of yourself to your left side.

The third technique

When you clinch up at the arms as before, make sure that your left hand is on the inside of his right arm and that your right hand is on the outside of his left arm. Strike his left hand from underneath with your right hand so that you have it on your right shoulder. Spring with your right leg in front of his left leg and wrap your right arm from the outside around his left arm. Help your right arm with your left hand and turn yourself away from him to your left side.

The counter

When someone does this to you and pushes your left arm on his neck, slip your left arm over his head and in front of his chest. Grab his left arm with your left hand and reach behind his right knee from the outside with your right hand. Lift his knee joint up and push him down to your left side with your left arm. This is how you throw him on his back.

The fourth wrestling

Go with your right arm from the outside over his left arm in front of his chest and grab him by his right shoulder. Spring with your right leg behind his left leg and grab him behind his left knee from the inside with your left hand. Throw him on your right side.

The fifth wrestling

Go with your right arm outwards over his left arm from bellow and press him tightly to yourself on your right side. Spring with your left leg behind his left leg and go with your left arm over his right shoulder around his neck. Throw him to your right side.

Der wider pruch

The counter

When someone does this to you, stand fast and grab him under his mouth with your right hand over his left arm and in front of his chest. Pull him in front of yourself over your left thigh to your right side.

The sixth wrestling

Make sure your left hand is on the outside of his right arm and your right hand is on the inside of his left arm. Reach with your right hand upwards under his right arm and between his right arm and your left arm. Lift your right hand up and move it to your right side in order to break his balance. It is possible to do this wrestling on both sides.

The seventh wrestling

When he has grabbed you by the arms, let your right hand slide and grab his left arm by the wrist with your right hand. Help your right hand with your left and hold firmly. Go through to your right side. This is how you win his back.

The tenth wrestling

When you have grabbed him by the arms so that your left hand is on the inside of his right arm and your right hand is on the outside of his left arm, reach with your left hand in front of his chest under his jaw to his left shoulder. Grab him behind his left knee from the outside with your right hand and throw him to your left side. This is possible on both sides.

The eleventh wrestling

If he has grabbed you so that both of his arms are under your arms, grab him behind by his left butt cheek with your right hand.[6] Grab him under his jaw with your left hand, so that your left arm is between your and his chest. Push him away above and pull him to yourself below, so that you throw him on his back.

The twelfth wrestling

When you are in a neutral clinch position and you both have the same grips, make sure that your left arm is over his right arm and that your right arm is under[8] his left arm. Step with your right leg outwards[9] and pull his left arm with your left arm to yourself. Help your left arm with your right arm and throw him over your hip.[10] This is possible on both sides.

The thirteenth wrestling

When he has grabbed you so that your right hand is under and your left arm is over, grab him with your left hand by the left side of his neck and with your right hand by his jacket on his left side. Push his neck away from yourself towards the ground from above and lift him up a bit from bellow. Step with your left leg back and turn to your left side.[11]

The fourteenth wrestling

When he has grabbed you and you are in a neutral position with your right arm on the outside of his left arm and your left arm under his right arm, pull your left arm from his right armpit. Press his left arm to yourself with your right arm and go with your left hand under his neck. Turn yourself from him to your left side. This is possible on both sides.

The fifteenth wrestling

When he has grabbed you and you are in a neutral position so that your[12] right arm is over and your left arm is under, pull your left arm and grab him with your left hand above his shoulder around his neck. Reach to help your right hand bellow and press him down. Fall on your buttocks and throw him over yourself. This one is also possible on both sides.

The sixteenth wrestling

When you clinch up at the arms, make sure that your right hand is on the inside of his left arm and that your left hand is on the outside of his right arm. Let your left hand slide on his right arm and grab him with it by his right wrist. Grab under his right shoulder from bellow with your right hand and spring with your right leg behind his left. Press with your left hand above yourself and pull with your right hand to your right side.

The seventeenth wrestling

Make sure both of your arms are under his arms. Reach with your right hand between his legs, grab him behind by his jacket and go with your left hand from bellow to his chest. Lift up with your left hand and push away from yourself with your right hand so that he falls.

Der wider pruch

The counter

When someone does this to you, lock up his right arm with both of your arms and lift up. He will be unable to throw you.

Footnotes

[1] There is a further piece of instruction in Goliath: ”Pull your left leg far back”
[2] The instructions in Goliath are more precise: ”Go through to your left side under his left armpit while holding his left arm.

[3] his (in Goliath)

[4] his (in the Glasgow Fechtbuch)

[5] Goliath additionally decribes a counter to the ninth wrestling: so er dich also fast so schlag mit deinr lincken hannt ime vorn umb den leib, von hintn yber sein linckß agsl unnd schwing dich auf sein od dein linckh setin indeß magstu mit deinem lincke vueß fur sein linckn tretn, unnd in also werfn- If he has grabbed you in this manner, strike him with your left hand from the front around his body and above his left shoulder from behind. Turn yourself to his or your left side and during that turn step with your left foot in front of his left foot and throw him.

[6] Goliath’s description is a bit different: ” Strike out with your right hand and grab his right butt cheek.

[7] The Glasgow Fechtbuch has another suggestion:”… or into his eyes”

[8] over (in the Glasgow Fechtbuch)

[9] The instructions in Goliath are clearer: ”Step with your right leg outside behind his right leg…”

[10] Goliath goes in more detail here: ”…turn to your left side and throw him over your right hip.”

[11] Goliath has a further suggestion: ”You can also step with your right thigh to his left thigh during the turn and throw him.”